Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could know when
Jesus will return to this world to take His
faithful believers to Heaven just before the
Tribulation begins and when He will return at
the end of the Tribulation to conquer evil and
rule the world as its King? Let's examine
several verses of scripture and determine if we
can know the general time when He could return.

In Matthew 24:1-31 Jesus describes the events of
the Tribulation. This is a seven year
period of time where unfaithful Christians will
be tested, a time where the nation of Israel
will be tested and a time where sinful and
unrepentant mankind will experience the wrath of
Almighty God. I suggest that you read
these verses that detail the testing that will
take place.

The fig tree
is spoken of often in the Old Testament and
I believe that it represents the nation of
Israel. The summer
mentioned in the following verses is the testing
that will take place for unfaithful Christians
in the first half of the Tribulation and the
testing of the gentile nations of the world and
of the nation of Israel during the Tribulation.

Matthew 24:32-36 Now
from the fig tree
learn her parable: when her branch is
now become tender, and putteth forth its
leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;
even so ye also, when ye see all these
things, know ye that He is nigh, even at
the doors. Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass away,
till all these things be
accomplished. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away. But of that day and
hour knoweth no one, not even the angels
of heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father only (ASV 1901).

The last line in this set of verses says that
only God the Father knows when summer is nigh:
this summer is the heat of the testing
of people of the earth during the seven year
Tribulation. Does it mean that we should not
attempt to understand when Jesus might return?
Are there verses given in the Holy Bible
that could perhaps point us in the general time
period of His return but not the exact date?
Let's analyze a date regarding the nation of
Israel: May 14, 1948. On this date the
state of Israel is proclaimed as a nation by
David Ben-Gurion. If the fig tree
mentioned by Jesus in the above verse is the new
nation of Israel then He said that the
generation that was in existence when Israel was
formed will not pass away until all be
fulfilled: to the end of the seven year
Tribulation. A generation is 70 years, so
1948 + 70 = 2018. As of today (2016), this
could not be the date when all is
fulfilled since there are only two years left
until 2018. However, if a generation is 80
years, then 1948 + 80 = 2028. With this
date, there is sufficient time from now for the
seven year Tribulation to begin and complete:

Psalms
90:10 The days of our years are
threescore years and ten, Or even by
reason of strength fourscore years; Yet
is their pride but labor and sorrow; For
it is soon gone, and we fly away.

If my analysis is correct, the Tribulation would
begin no later than 2021, five years from
now. The First Fruits rapture would then
take place no later than the day of Pentecost:
May 18, 2021. Easter takes place 50 days
earlier on March 27, 2021. Now, if
Jesus uses the longer lives of today as
the length of days of the generation
that saw Israel formed as a nation, the
generation could be 85 or even 90
years. This would set the end of
the Tribulation on or before 2033 or
2038. Again,
this analysis only suggests a possibility of
the date when Jesus returns.

What do we know for sure
of Jesus' return?

The destruction of Damascus will signal the
final countdown to Jesus' return for the
First Fruits Rapture.

Isaiah 17:1-3
The Burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus
is taken away from being a city, and it
shall be a ruinous heap. The
cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall
be for flocks, which shall lie down, and
none shall make them afraid. And
the fortress shall cease from Ephraim,
and the kingdom from Damascus, and the
remnant of Syria; they shall be as the
glory of the children of Israel, saith
Jehovah of hosts.

These
verses state that the city of Damascus,
Syria will be destroyed sometime in the
future. This will most likely happen after
a major terrorist attack is launched on
Israel, the U.S. or a European
nation. The nation attacked will
then completely destroy Damascus,
Syria.

After this destruction, the fortress will
cease supporting Ephraim. Let's
attempt to explain this verse. Now
Ephraim was a son of Joseph and in the Old
Testament God sometimes uses the name of
Ephraim to represent the nation of
Israel. The Hebrew word for fortress means
defender. The Hebrew word for cease means
to be removed, taken away, or to rest
(i.e., to be made to cease from
labor). Thus, the first clause in
this compound sentence states, “The
defender shall also be removed or taken
away from Israel and shall enter into
rest.” It is no
secret that the faithful Christians in
the Church are the defenders of
Israel. It is the
faithful in the Church who stand up for
Israel, pray for Israel, and do everything
they can to watch over and protect Israel.
They will be removed and taken to Heaven
just before the beginning of the
Tribulation.At the
same time that the defender is taken away
from Israel, the kingdom is taken away
from Syria. Thus, the order of
events appears to be (1) a Major terrorist
attacks takes place, (2) Damascus will be
destroyed and the inhabitants of the area
will flee from the destruction, (3) the
First Fruits Rapture will take place which
will take place on the following Day of
Pentecost. The Church Age began on
Pentecost and we believe that it will
complete on a Pentecost. Shortly
after Pentecost, the Tribulation will
begin.

Keep watching for events in the world that
signify that we are in the last days of
the Church Age. In spite of many
temptations, let's remain faithful to
Jesus and live our lives in obedience to
Him.